1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a parting composition for use in cooking foodstuffs, more especially to a parting composition of the type applied to cooking utensils, such as baking and frying pans and the like, in order to prevent or inhibit food from sticking to the utensil during cooking and to facilitate cleaning the utensil.
2. Background and Related Art
The prior art has devoted considerable effort to providing lecithin-containing food parting compositions for coatings on utensils which do not impart undesirable flavors to, or discolor, foodstuffs and which have a minimum calorie content. The coatings, which may be used in lieu of oils, grease, butter, etc. to lubricate food-contact surfaces of cooking utensils such as frying and baking pans, facilitate the separation of cooked foodstuffs from cooking surfaces. The use of lecithin, a naturally-occurring substance usually derived from soybeans, is known for this purpose and conventional food release compositions comprise a mixture of lecithin, an edible oil and other known additives.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,479,977, issued Oct. 30, 1984 to Dashiell et al discloses various methods of making acetylated lecithin and its use in food release compositions and in Example 9 recites the use of acetylated lecithin in combination with vegetable oil, 190 proof ethanol, and hydrocarbon propellant for use in aerosols.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,301,881 to Davis, dated Jan. 31, 1967 discloses a emulsion comprising an oil-in-water emulsion comprising 1.0 grams acetylated lecithin, 10 grams cottonseed oil and 90 ml water (see Example 3).
U.S. Pat. No. 4,654,221 to Purves et al, dated Mar. 31, 1987 teaches the utility of phosphate salts, including monocalcium phosphate, as anti-sticking agents to be added to cooking fats for non-emulsion type parting compositions. It is taught that by using the phosphate salts, lecithin can be advantageously eliminated as an antisticking agent, but several example compositions comprised 0.4 percent lecithin by weight of the composition (see TABLE I). Purves et al teach away from the use of lecithin to prevent off-flavor development and thermal darkening during cooking (see column 2, lines 58-60; column 3, lines 18-20 and column 6, lines 27-29) and that the salts are effective in amounts of 0.001 percent by weight of the composition, preferably 0.01 to about 0.5 percent by weight (see column 5, lines 53-57).
U.S. Pat. No. 4,339,465 to Strouss, dated Jul. 13, 1982, teaches the use of a liquid composition comprising a liquid emulsifier and at least about 80 percent water and, optionally liquid lecithin. The liquid emulsifier contains monoglycerides, diglycerides and a polysorbate compound.